Millis woman pens novel about female mafia

Tuesday

Jun 24, 2014 at 12:13 AM

By Mark StromDaily News Correspondent

MILLIS – Mafia. This one simple word conjures different images for different people. Some may think of 1920’s-era gangsters with pinstripe suits and Tommy Guns, while others may imagine stereotypical mobsters with tacky jewelry, fake tans and pistols.Though the specific mental images might vary, there is one undeniable linking theme – the mobsters in question are almost always imagined to be male.Author and Millis resident Arlene Lagos challenges this stereotype in "Butterflies Wake," a book about a fictional female mafia wherein members "right the wrongs of an unjust society."The story follows a woman named Camille, who in 1977 is beaten to within an inch of her life by her husband and left to die on the ground near her front door. She is rescued by Priscilla, who introduces her to the "secret society" known as The Butterflies.The Butterflies are an underground mafia who act as a vigilante neighborhood watch. "I wanted to write a book about something that was tongue-in-cheek – exciting for women to read – about women fighting back and taking matters into their own hands without it being preachy and political," she said.According to Lagos, the women in the story follow a code of conduct. "The code is actually in the chapter titles," said Lagos.Lagos was originally planning the story to be a pilot for a TV show, but lacked the resources to make one. She considered making a 20-minute short film, but felt she would not be able to go as in-depth as she wanted."A friend suggested I write it into a novel," said Lagos. "Four years later, here we are."Lagos said the hardest part of writing the book was the research. She read stories online about horrible things women had gone through without getting any justice in the end. She was also approached by friends who told their own horror stories when told about her research.She said for most of her life, she’s been approached by people who seek advice. An overwhelming percentage of them, she said, have experienced some type of physical or emotional abuse, she said.After writing the book, Lagos was approached by people – "at least 35 women," said Lagos – who wanted to know if the mafia in the story was real, and if they could join. "I’m like, ‘Well, you can carry a (baseball) bat in your car to protect yourself,"' said Lagos.However, her goal in writing the book was not to encourage unnecessary violence. "I wanted it to be something that promoted the strength in women, and (that) when they read it they feel strong – make them feel less like a victim and more like a victor," Lagos said.Lagos has written poetry, stage plays, screenplays and short stories for more than 20 years. "Butterflies Wake" is available at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.com.